Dembele's helped his club Paris St-Germain win a Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Champions League treble, before also reaching the final of the Club World Cup in what was an incredible season for the Frenchman.
The 28-year-old was named ahead of Lamine Yamal and Paris club-mate Vitinha in what was a well deserved award for the winger who established himself as the world’s best.
The French forward scored eight goals in 15 matches en route to PSG's Champions League victory, where the world witnessed his form on the European stage. However, speaking to BOYLE Sports, Waddle says Dembele is inconsistent and often does not look like a world-class player.
“I think people are too invested in stats. If a player is the top goalscorer, it proves they're the best at scoring goals, but that doesn't necessarily make them a great player.
"I've had discussions about this: there are great goalscorers and then there are great players, like Lionel Messi. Why did Ronaldo and Messi always win the Ballon d'Or?
“Not now, obviously, Ousmane Dembele won it. Dembele is an off-the-cuff player who sometimes dribbles like Messi, but other weeks he looks like a fourth division player. You never know what you're going to get with him. He's a dribbler.”
Dembélé was named UEFA Champions League Player of the Season and scored 35 goals and recorded 14 assists in all competitions in what the best season of his career. However, Waddle may be right in believing in his inconsistencies, which are often pointed out by many pundits.